Leather stretching apparatus



May 13 1958 J. w. DURKEE l 2,834,147

- LEATHER sTRETcHING APPARATUS May 13, 1958 J. w. DURKEE 2,834,147

LEATHER sTRETcHING APPARATUS l Filed Jan. 2o. 195e 1 2 sheetssheet 2 l@ 5. /3 /9 h? l IlmW/l//A o o 9) l y o o /9 l l v I e586 l? km O G O :l le

l l oo;L I Qa- 6 l.' 'L

f F' .6'. 26 I T "Q .i' f' 9^ 28- i I a5 C" I 5 1-1mi. 27 I l J-LJL M Y |31 -f3 o s l .-213

l I o O A O O O 1Inl go o o H 8) a? o'ol f (mm I| mnu l NW 4': S l' y Zzveaoif: l

LEATHER STRETCHING APPARATUS John W. Durkee, Wilmington, Mass. i

Application January 20, 1956, Serial No. 560,382-

4 Claims. (Cl. 45-24) This invention relates to apparatus for use in stretching hides.

Before leather is dried, it is usually stretched on frames until of a shape ensuring maximum economy in use. In order that sides may be eiciently stretched the frames are in sections and, after a side has been attached to them, jacks are utilized to spread the sections to enable leather stretching to be accomplished with adequate mechanical advantage.

The principal object of this invention is to provide sectioned frames including built-in jacks adapted to pro vide maximum convenience and eliciency in hide stretching. This generally stated objective is attained by providing frames, each comprising a pair of members each having a pair of side portions to which are attached spaced connectors for the said support elements. The side portions of one member are in the form of channels carrying a plurality of rollers. The side portions of the other member are entrant of these channels and are slidably conned therein by the rollers thereby establishing a frame readily expanded and contracted by means of a jack threaded through a member and rotatably connected to the other member.

In the accompanying drawings, there are shown embodiments of the invention illustrating these and other of its objectives, novel features, and advantages.

`In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a hide stretching frame in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged and partly sectioned plan view of one end portion of that frame,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken along the indicated lines 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 3, of another embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the indicated lines 5-5 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, partly sectioned plan view showing the interconnection of corresponding side portions of the two members and the relation of a jack thereto.

With reference to the embodiment of the invention illustrated by Figs. 1-3, the side stretching frame may comprise members 10 and 11 having pairs of parallel side portions indicated generally at 12 and 13 respectively.

The side portions 13 are shown as channels disposed towards each other and provided with a series of rollers 14 arranged transversely of their mouths and a mount 15 of T-shaped section welded thereto. The side portions 12 are shown as of T-shaped sections and slidably entrant of the channels 13, with their heads 16 in engagement with the rollers 14. J ack screws 17 are threaded through the members 1G and rotatably entered through respective ones of the keepers 18 thus to provide means for expanding the frame.

The frame includes sections 19 and 20 connected respectively to the heads 16 of the side portions 12 and to the mounts 15 of the side portions 13 by connectors 21 and 22. The connectors 21 are so arranged as not to contact the rollers 14 during expansion of the frame. In Fig. 1, a side of leather 23 is indicated as having been arranged on the frame sections for stretching having been A United States Patent C anchored thereto by toggles 24 or equivalent clamping means.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 4 6, the connectors between the side portions 13 and the section 19 are indicated at 25 and are apertured as at 26 to receive freely the jack screw 17 and corresponding ones of the connectors 25 between the side portions 13 and the section 20 are apertured as at 28 and each has welded thereto a keeper 29 rotatably connecting the jack screw 17 thereto.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that frames in accordance with the invention, with the built-in jacks are constructed to be readily expanded without rendering the apparatus objectionably bulky.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus for use in stretching leather, a pair of frame members each of which includes a pair of side portions provided with a series of spaced connectors, the side portions of o-ne member being in the form of c'hannels opening towards cach other and including a plurality of rollers, the side portions of the other pair of members being entrant of respective ones of said channels and slidably conned therein by said rollers thereby to establish a frame adapted to be expanded and contracted, and an adjusting jack threaded through one member and rotatably connected to the other member.

2. In apparatus for use in stretching leather, a pair of frame members each of which includes a pair of side portions provided with a series of spaced connectors, the

side portions of one member being in the form of channels opening towards each other and including a plurality of rollers and connecting means, the side portions of the other pair of members being entrant of said channels and slidably conlined therein by said rollers thereby to establish a frame adapted to be expanded and contracted,

' and a pair of adjusting jacks threaded through one meming towards each other and including a plurality of rollers, the side portions of the other pair of members being entrant of said channels and slidably confined therein by said rollers thereby to establish a frame adapted to be expanded and contracted, a pair Aof adjusting jacks threaded through one member and extending in parallel with said side members, and means carried by a connector of each side portion of the other frame member rotatably receiving said jacks.

4. In apparatus for use in stretching leather, a pair of members each of which includes side portions provided with a series of spaced connectors, the side portions of one member vbeing in the form of channels opening towards each other and including a plurality of rollers, the side portions of the other pair of members being T- shaped and entrant of said channels each with its base approximately in engagement with the closed end of the channel and its cross bar slidably engaging said rollers thereby to establish a frame adapted to be expanded and contracted, and an adjusting jack threaded through one member and rotatably connected to the other member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OBrien Nov. 3, 1925 

